Little Women (1978 film)
For other motion pictures of this title, see Little Women (disambiguation) Little Women is a 1978 American television miniseries directed by David Lowell Rich and based on the classic 1868 novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott. The teleplay was written by Suzanne Clauser and is the fifth film adaptation of the Alcott classic, the previous four having been released theatrically in 1917, 1918, 1933 and 1949. The cast includes Susan Dey, Meredith Baxter Birney, Ann Dusenberry, Eve Plumb, Dorothy McGuire, William Schallert, Greer Garson, Robert Young, Richard Gilliland and William Shatner and John de Lancie playing Frank. The three-hour miniseries was produced by Universal Television and originally aired in two parts on NBC on October 2–3, 1978. A brief series followed in 1979, airing from February 8-March 8, 1979. Eve Plumb was among the miniseries cast members who returned (although her character Beth had died in the miniseries, as she had in the original book), playing a cousin of the family called Lissa.Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows: 1946-Present (Ninth Edition)," 2007, p. 801, Ballentine Books, Plot The miniseries chronicles the lives and loves of the four March sisters – Jo (Susan Dey), Meg (Meredith Baxter Birney), Amy (Ann Dusenberry) and Beth (Eve Plumb) – growing up in Concord, Massachusetts during the American Civil War. While their father leaves for battle, the sisters must rely on each other for strength in the face of tragedies both large and small. Cast The March Family (miniseries) * Susan Dey as Josephine 'Jo' March * Meredith Baxter Birney as Meg March * Eve Plumb as Elizabeth 'Beth' March * Ann Dusenberry as Amy March * Dorothy McGuire as Marmee March * William Schallert as Jonathan March * Greer Garson as Aunt Kathryn March The March Family (regular series) * Jessica Harper as Josephine 'Jo' March * Susan Walden as Meg March * Ann Dusenberry as Amy March Laurence * Dorothy McGuire as Marmee March * William Schallert as Jonathan March * Mildred Natwick as Aunt Kathryn March The Laurence Family * Robert Young as Grandpa James Laurence * Richard Gilliland as Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence Miscellaneous (miniseries) * William Shatner as Professor Friedrich Bhaer * Cliff Potts as John Brooke * Virginia Gregg as Hannah * Joyce Bulifant as Mrs. Kirke * John de Lancie as Frank Vaughn * Carlene Watkins as Sally Gardiner Miscellaneous (regular series) * David Ackroyd as Professor Friedrich Bhaer * Cliff Potts as John Brooke * Virginia Gregg as Hannah * Eve Plumb as Melissa Jane "Lissa" Driscoll Awards Winner: * 1979 – Emmy Award for Outstanding Art Direction for a Series Nominations: * 1979 – Emmy Award Outstanding Cinematography for a Series Home media releases Little Women was released on a 2-disc DVD in region 1 by Koch Vision on October 9, 2007. On August 14, 2012, Entertainment One (eOne) released the miniseries on a single disc DVD. References External links * * *Review Category:1978 television films Category:1970s American television miniseries Category:1970s romantic drama films Category:American romantic drama films Category:American films Category:American Civil War films Category:Television episodes in multiple parts Category:English-language films Category:Films based on American novels Category:Films based on children's books Category:Films directed by David Lowell Rich Category:Films scored by Elmer Bernstein Category:Films about writers Category:Films about sisters Category:Films set in Massachusetts Category:Films set in the 1860s Category:Universal Pictures films